


get outta my mind, get in my car

by the_midnight_huntress



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance, Tumblr Prompt, like a dark coffee bean, nico is a smol bean, prompt, will is gorgeous and he knows it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 18:59:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12091353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_midnight_huntress/pseuds/the_midnight_huntress
Summary: Based on the tumblr prompt:Mortal AU. Will Solace is the new employee at the local car wash shop. Nico is the newly turned regular who all of a sudden volunteers to get every person he knows who owns a car and have it get washed.He volunteers out of his own good will and simply not to discreetly stare at the blonde car wash boy. Seriously, what are people talking about?





	get outta my mind, get in my car

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch/gifts).



Nico di Angelo was _not_ having a good day.

He had been rudely awakened by the blaring of his alarm clock, only to realise that there was half an hour left before the start of his first lesson and the campus was a twenty-minute drive away; he had thrown together an ensemble of mostly-wrinkle-free jeans and a Ramones tee, grabbed a cup of coffee, tripped down the stairs of the apartment complex, spilled his coffee and tripped _again_ on the steps in front of the building.

Somehow, miraculously, he had managed to arrive in time for Sociology and was spared from the disapproving glances of his childhood and best friend, Jason Grace. But on the way back from college, he got a flat tyre and amidst the clamorous din of the honking cars and several rude drivers, he had to have it towed to the nearest mechanic’s.

Yes, it seemed there was a need to revise the previous statement for it was a gross understatement. Today was officially the Worst Day EverTM.

\---------------------------------

The enormous sign caught his eye first, and then the actual words swam into focus as his mind re-booted after the exhausting morning.

_Hephaestus’ Wheels_

The allusion to Greek mythology stirred an unknown force deep inside him, just like it always did whenever he came here- a discordant note in a well-harmonized aria or a ripple spreading out onto a sheet-like surface of water. The faint whiff of jasmine, a green beret, twinkling laughter reminiscent of silver bells...

Nico shook his head forcefully. _No, don’t go down that path_ , he chastised himself. Even after all these years, it was frighteningly easy to lose himself in that dark abyss of his memories.

‘You okay, kid?’

The gruff voice pierced through the haze that had settled over him. Nico glanced at the owner-Mr. Hephaestus- an elderly but surprisingly agile man with a scraggly beard, grisly hair and one leg made of steel whose _thunk_ s reverberated ominously in the empty space.

‘Yeah,’ Nico replied, clearing his throat. ‘I’m fine.’

‘Well, the car’s all done,’ Mr. Hephaestus said, dusting off his soiled overalls. The clothes remained stubbornly dirty. ‘That’ll be five dollars.’

‘Sure.’ Nico pulled out his wallet, his gaze straying idly across the mostly empty garage, observing the curious amalgam of spare car parts, tool boxes and what looked like a hybrid between an old-fashioned television and a boiler.

He froze.

Settled into a nook of the expansive area was the mechanic’s own car wash service. But that was not what had ensnared his attention. At the moment, a middle-aged woman with an austere face was driving away after getting her car cleaned. And a young man Nico had never seen at the shop before, who had been attending to her, chirped out a, ‘Have a good day!’

From this angle, it was impossible to make out his face but Nico could see the mop of unruly golden curls and the arms- _oh, Fates have mercy on his poor soul, they were_ tanned!- in his form fitting shirt.

Heat crept up his cheeks and to the tips of his ears.

‘Uh, on second thought,’ Nico stammered. ‘I’d think I’d like to get my car washed too. You know, since I am here and all.’

Mr. Hephaestus looked from Nico to his sleek, black and spotless car (Jules-Albert was very... _industrious_ in his job) to Nico again. He could feel himself blushing again under the scrutiny.

As it turned out, the attendant’s name was William Solace (‘Please call me Will,’ he told Nico with a blinding smile.) and he appeared near his age. Unfortunately, he was also devastatingly attractive, even more so up close, and Nico was beginning to feel rather weak-kneed just observing him work.

The tanned arms were lithe and rippling with muscles, and moved swiftly and diligently in their task. Will had a rather distracting habit of running his soap-lathered fingers through the honeyed curls at intervals so that the hair appeared interestingly mussed and windswept. Nico swallowed hard.

‘All done,’ Will announced cheerfully fifteen minutes later. He beamed at the other as though he had somehow unearthed the secrets of the universe and Nico was so taken aback by his attitude that he stared dumbly for a few seconds before realising what it meant.

‘O-okay. Uh...good. yeah.’

His cheeks were blazing again and to his surprise, he noticed Will fidget uncertainly in place as he, too, turned a shade akin to a tomato. The blonde was moving with a deliberate hesitance as he packed away his tools, seemingly waiting or steeling himself for...for _something_. The thought sent Nico’s heart fluttering and he had to fight against the mad urge to smile goofily.

‘So, I- I’ll see you around?’ Nico ventured softly and Will nodded eagerly.

‘Yeah! See you.’

And as Nico paid Mr. Hephaestus and drove away, his thoughts like frayed fragments hanging loosely around his mind, he was too far gone to notice the knowing smirk the old man aimed his way.

\--------------------------------------

Nico shot into the classroom and into his seat, nearly toppling over the chair, just as the bell rang, signalling the start of World History. With a groan of gratitude, he splayed across his table as Jason cuffed him on the back of his head.

‘You were up late again last night, weren’t you?’ inquired his friend with a disapproving frown.

Nico grumbled incoherently in response. Piper giggled. It was no secret that Jason Grace was what people often referred to as the ‘Mom Friend’ and his constant source of aggravation was Nico’s night owl habits. But Nico was nothing if not stubborn and refused to cooperate.

The day rushed past in a haze of tiredness; all he was aware of was the blur of colours and the familiar cacophony of sounds as he trudged through the halls.

Finally _, finally_ , the last bell rang and they were free from their imprisonment with nothing but the weekend to look forward to. Nico was happily envisioning his downy blankets, the tub of cream-and-cookies ice cream and his miscellaneous selection of movies on Netflix when he, Jason and Piper reached the parking lot.

His friend’s car was in line with a few others that only a handful of students possessed. Jason and Piper were already moving towards it. An idea sparked in Nico’s mind and with it came a sense of excitement and anxiety so potent that it nearly bowled him over.

‘Hey, Jace,’ he called after the boy. ‘Want me to go and get your car washed?’

Electric blue eyes blinked slowly behind the crooked glasses as Jason gazed in quiet uncertainty at his friend, as though fearing for his sanity.

‘Uh, what? No, dude, it’s okay. I’ll get it cleaned over the weekend.’

‘No, no, you must get it cleaned,’ Nico insisted. ‘It’s filthy!’

Jason glanced behind him in bewilderment. The car merely had a few smudges of dirt.

‘Nico, I really don’t think-‘

‘Here, you and Piper can take my car to get back,’ Nico rushed on. He tossed him the keys. Jason fumbled with them as Piper tried not to fall over in hysterics.

‘Okay, see you guys later,’ the dark-haired boy shouted as he snatched Jason’s keys from him, got into the car and promptly drove off.

There was a brief moment of silence in which Jason continued to look pole axed and Piper continued to laugh.

\----------------------------

‘Hey, Jackson, want me to get you car washed?’

The whisper cut through the silence like a knife through melting butter, successfully capturing the attention of all the occupants of the room.

Percy looked over from the movie they were all watching to shoot him a frown. ‘Uh, why?’

Nico shrugged with nonchalance as he stared steadfastly at the scene before him- Hiro Hamada was designing the suits in _Big Hero Six_ -, even though his heart was beginning to speed up and he felt butterflies in his stomach.

‘Well, yeah, I mean...don’t you want a nice clean car?’ he inquired.

There was a very loud snort, failed to be concealed as a sneeze, from Piper. Jason was gaping at him. Hazel watched on curiously, her golden eyes piercing the semi-darkness as though trying to penetrate Nico’s very soul.

‘What?’ he muttered. ‘What’s so funny?’

‘You, Nico di Angelo, offering to get my car washed, an act of kindness?’Percy said incredulously. ‘You, the epitome of social inaptitude, emo/Goth/punk hybrid and resident nerd? What did you eat this morning?’

‘Uh, _rude_ ,’ Nico sniffed disparagingly. ‘You should be honoured and pleased to bask in my generosity. And who taught you the words ‘social inaptitude’, Jackson? Didn’t think you had the vocabulary for it.’

‘Hey!’

Everyone laughed. They resumed the movie night in silence for a few more minutes, before Percy answered his previous question.

‘Yeah, sure, get it washed. Thanks, bro.’

\----------------------------------

‘Fancy meeting you here,’ drawled Will as he eyed the Fiat cruised slowly into view the next afternoon.

‘Uh, yeah, this is my friend’s car and I offered so, um, yeah...’

Nico trailed off uncertainly, the softest hue of pink tingeing his high cheekbones as he dropped his gaze. Will had to fight off the giddy smile threatening to mar his neutral expression. He was not certain he succeeded.

‘Ah, well, luckily for me, my shift just ended. Cecil will take over from here.’

Nico blinked, startled. ‘Oh, I see.’

The deep cadence of his voice was touched with the barest hint of disappointment. This time, Will could not help the laughter that bubbled forth.

‘But, don’t worry,’ he reassured the other. ‘I’ll stay here with you so you don’t get too lonely without me.’

‘What-lonely-what gave you the idea-‘ Nico spluttered.

He was, mercifully, spared from his predicament by the arrival of a mischievous-looking young man with curly hair and sparkling green eyes that resembled Leo too much for comfort. Cecil brought over the sponges and water and got to work, while Will and Nico lounged on the chairs of an outdoor cafe across the street.

‘How’s Betty doing?’ Will asked casually as he sipped his latte.

Nico quirked an eyebrow. ‘Who’s Betty?’

‘Your car, of course! Don’t tell me you haven’t christened her!’ Will admonished, even as the cerulean of his eyes lit up with mirth and Nico had to make a conscious effort to focus on the conversation.

‘Uh, no?’ Nico replied dryly. ‘Who names their cars anyway?’

‘I cannot believe you,’ Will wailed dramatically. ‘I just called her Betty because I forgot to ask her name. I never actually imagined- you know what? Her name is Betty from now on!’

Nico gaped at him. ‘You’re insane. I’m not calling my car Betty.’

‘Yes, you are. And that’s final.’

Will Solace could be incredibly frustrating and obstinate at times. But the golden sunlight lit up the honeyed curls falling into his eyes; his irises darkened to the depths of the oceans as he gazed across the table at Nico, the smile on his lips widening till it was a lopsided grin.

And Nico couldn’t say no.

‘Okay,’ he agreed with feigned reluctance. ‘Betty it is then.’

\------------------------------

It was several nights later that Nico showed up at her door.

Reyna had dressed for bed in a loose grey shirt and flannel pyjamas, with her mass of dark curls cascading down her back and a book and a cup of hot chocolate awaiting her on the bedside table. It was extremely rare for her to be able to scrounge some time for herself and she was quite looking forward to a stress-free weekend.

So it figured that her bliss was short-lived. She had just sunk into the downy sheets when there was a flurry of knocks on her door.

Reyna sighed, a frown flitting across her countenance- the only signs of her annoyance at this late time visitor.

The knocks turned into frantic bangs.

‘Reyna,’ yelled a muffled voice that she recognized at once. ‘I need your help. Please!’

She rushed towards the door upon hearing those worrying words. Nico stood in front of her, appearing quite frazzled and (surprisingly) well-dressed. She ushered him inside and he collapsed on her couch with all the grace of a bear tumbling down a steep incline.

Reyna was immediately worried.

Locks of raven hair stuck up at odd angles and his oddly colourless eyes were blank. There were few instances when she had seen him look that lost and none of them had ended well.

‘Nico,’ she ventured after a few minutes of sitting silently and her friend gazing at the wall opposite as though stupefied. ‘What’s wrong?’

He did not speak for a long while. The clock ticked ominously in the background.

Then he groaned and dropped his face in his hands. ‘I don’t know what to _do_ ,’ came the smothered reply through his fingers.

‘What do you mean?’ She pressed. ‘I need you to be more specific, Nico. Did you fight with your father again?’

‘No.’ Nico finally raised his face and when he spoke, his words were vulnerable and raw, piercing her heart like a rusted dagger. ‘I- I like him, Reyna. I really, really like him. And I don’t know what to _do_.’

Comprehension dawned on her face then. _Of course._

‘Is this about Will?’ She asked quietly. Reyna carefully pried his fingers away until the nails were no longer cutting red welts into his skin. ‘The boy at the car wash?’

‘How did you-?’ He choked.

‘Piper had a hunch about what was really going on.’ She could not stop the smirk from tugging at her mouth. ‘As a result of which Hazel, Piper, Jason and I went around to _Hephaestus Wheels_ two days ago to spy on you two. He’s very cute.’

‘You what?’ Nico yelped, springing to his feet.

‘Relax, _hermanito_. Now tell me what happened. Does he have someone else? I could have sworn he liked you.’ A thought rose to her mind like a swirling storm brewing on the horizon. ‘Did he lead you on? Did he hurt you? I swear I’ll stick my Swiss Army knife so far up his-‘

‘No, no, no, it’s not that.’ Nico flapped his arms vigorously. ‘It’s just that- he, uh, flirted me. I mean, I _think_ he flirted with me- admittedly, I am not the best at picking up social context clues.’

That elicited a quiet chuckle from the usually stern girl.

‘I see. So _that’s_ the issue. Honestly, Nico, what is there to worry about then?’

Nico flopped down on the sofa again. ‘I don’t know. What if- what if it’s just some harmless banter to him?’ He fidgeted with a stray piece of string on his frayed jeans. ‘What if he doesn’t like me that way?’

Reyna shifted until they were sitting side by side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

‘I know that’s not true, Nico. He truly likes you. I have seen the way he looks at you. And if you don’t believe me, ask Piper. She’ll tell you the same thing.’

He peered up at her through his bangs, even as hope- unbridled and fragile- began to trickle through his limbs and right up to his toes. ‘Really?’ His voice was scarcely more than a whisper.

‘Really.’

\------------------------------

‘Hey,’ Will greeted him hesitantly and with no little amount of apprehension when Nico visited him several day later at his late-night shift. He had been anxious when the other boy disappeared after the flirting. The mere notion that he may have scared Nico off hurt him so profoundly that it still shocked him.

‘Hey yourself,’ Nico responded. He glanced around the deserted garage, silent save for the clanking of metal parts from Mr. Hephaestus’ workplace. ‘Why do you have such a late-night shift? Don’t pre-med students have tonnes of work to do?’

Will chuckled as they fell into easy conversation. ‘Yeah, but the old guy’s a friend of my father’s and he asked me to fill in as a favour when Cecil called in sick.’

‘I see.’

‘So, you want to get your car washed... this late?’ Will arched an elegant brow.

‘Well, no. Actually I-‘ Nico sucked in a lungful of breath and plunged forwards. ‘I wanted to ask you something.’

‘Oh, yeah?’ Will’s voice had dropped to a melodious hum as he leaned forward, intimately closer. His golden lashes fluttered and Nico could count each and every freckle sprinkled across the bridge of his nose. He took another deep breath.

‘I needed to ask you- uh- that is to say, will you- will you-‘

He was cut off abruptly when a pair of lips pressed against his own.

Oh. _Oh._

The feel of Will’s mouth slotting against his was akin to lightening, short-circuiting his brain as Nico simply stood there, limp in the warm touch of his hands cupping his face, the feel of his mouth and his tongue and his taste, the press of Will’s chest against his own. Liquid fire is surging through his veins and- _oh_ , it is like nothing he imagined it to be.

‘Yes,’ Will murmured, before he continued peppering kisses across his jaw line and down his neck.

Nico shuddered and gripped the front of his shirt in fistfuls, his voice hoarse when he spoke, ‘You didn’t even let me ask first-‘

Will’s laughter was a low rumble that resonated deep within his bones and he realized how close they were, how one leg was snugly fitted in between his own, how long fingers carded lovingly through his hair, how Will nudged his nose down the pale slope of his throat. Nico pulled the other boy nearer.

‘I suppose you are right,’ Will finally relented, smiling. ‘But you should be thanking me for saving you from becoming a stuttering mess.’

Nico scowled, his heart feeling lighter at their standard banter, the sheer _familiarity_ he felt with the golden-haired boy. ‘Shut up.’

They finally peeled away from each other. The lack of noise told them that the owner had departed to give them privacy.

‘Want to go somewhere?’ Nico inquired.

‘Now?’

‘Why not?’ He shot him a daredevil grin and Will’s heart skipped a beat in the split-second it took him to recover from that gorgeous sight. ‘A late night drive could be fun.’

‘S-sure,’ Will managed a strangled response. ‘Let me ask Mr. Hephaestus first. Though I doubt he’ll say no. My shift’s almost over.’

‘Okay.’ Nico smiled a tad shyly. ‘I’ll wait for you here, Sunshine.’

Will beamed at him and kissed him quickly before hurrying away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Work title is a song by Billy Ocean.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little self indulgence of mine! The prompt was by 'solangeloprompts' on tumblr. Go check them out!  
> If you enjoyed this fic, please let me know by pressing those little kudos and comments buttons. :)  
> Find me on my tumblr: www.themidnighthuntress.tumblr.com


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